Witches & Wizards Protection Program
by makesmewonderx3
Summary: The summer after their sixth year, Draco and Hermione along with their class of students are paried up and shipped off. What could go wrong?  ignores DH&some HBP
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Thanks so much for clicking on my story! This is my second full-length fic on . I hope you enjoy this Dramione (: Dedicated to GP, and all the love he's given my family. RIP.**

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"Attention please!" Professor Minerva McGonagall shouted from the head of the Great Hall. She had called a meeting of all the sixth years on the very last day of classes at Hogwarts. They were chatting loudly and carrying on nonsense, as seventeen year olds do.

"Why the bloody helll are we here anyway?" Ron mumbled from the left of Hermione.

"McGonagall told us she has something very important to share." Hermione reminded her ginger friend, giving him a knowing look.

Harry scratched the skin by his scar. "Whatever keeps me away from the Dursley's a few extra minutes is fine with me."

"I have life changing news for you all!" McGonagall was saying from the front of the enormous Hall. With a flick of her wrist, a piece of parchment appeared in front of every student.

"'The Witches & Wizards Protection Program'?" Draco read aloud from his seat at the Slytherin table.

"A lot has happened this year," Minerva continued from her place. She looked across the Hall at the faces of her sixth year students. "We lost the greatest wizard of all time. The darkest foe among us is growing. You are about to enter your last year of schooling at Hogwarts."

The students' faces showed mixed looks of melancholy and elation.

"And now there is one more thing you must participate in before leaving Hogwarts for good." McGonagall had a small smile on her face. "Today I will introduce to you the 'The Witches & Wizards Protection Program'. Most of you are seventeen, an age that has hopefully created you to be a very mature adult who can handle this!"

"Most of us," Draco grunted.

"I designed this program for your safety. There is a lingering fear about your safety among us professors, centered on You-Know-Who. After seeing you every day for almost seven years, we want to make sure you are safe after your time at Hogwarts is up," McGonagall gave them all a sincere smile. "During the summers, Hogwarts students are not permitted to use magic. This summer however you are allowed to. In the 'The Witches & Wizards Protection Program' you and a classmate will be sent to a distant location for the entire summer."

For a few seconds, there was a deafening silence. Then the Great Hall erupted. Some students stood up, a few began to cry, and most were angrily shouting to their friends their disapproval.

"'Ay McGoo, you can't take my summer away!" Seamus Finnegan cried from his seat.

"Why would I want to spend three months with anyone from this bloody school?" Draco yelled, standing up.

"McGonagall you can't, I have a fashion internship at Broomsticks this summer!" Parvati Patil shouted.

"Students, silence your selves at once!" McGonagall hollered. "This is for your protection! We can't risk your safety! 'He' is on the rise, and before your last year at Hogwarts, you must be kept in unknown locations so that you may return to this school safely. Without this program, you all would have spent summer in predictable locations doing who knows what." Then her voice dropped. "We care about you."

Hermione set her lips in a straight line. McGonagall had a point.

"May I reveal the partners now?" The professor suddenly held a very long scroll in her hands. "Locations have been chosen for their distance from the school and opportunity for cultural absorption. Partners have been chosen by matching you with someone you wouldn't normally be spending time with."

McGonagall cleared her throat.

"When I call your name in a pair, please come to the front of the class to receive more information on your location. All students will have this afternoon to pack, and will apperate hopefully by the evening. Are you all ready?" McGonagall pushed her glasses further on the bridge of her nose. "I will call several couples at a time so that you can all have opportune time to collect your belongings. First three pairings — Dean Thomas and Susan Bones; Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbott; Harry Potter and Pansy Parkinson."

Hermione's jaw dropped when she heard Harry's name. He swallowed, looking at Hermione. "I guess I won't see you both for a while," Harry said hurriedly, rising from his seat.

"Harry, this isn't goodbye," Hermione said, smiling at her best friend.

"I'll miss you, bloke." Ron gave half a grin to Harry. Potter nodded and walked away.

"Next three couples — Blaise Zabini and Luna Lovegood; Ronald Weasley and Millicent Bullstrode; Ernie Macmillan and Daphne Greengrass."

Draco laughed. His best friend Blaise was seated right next to him, and deflated when his name was called.

"You're an arse, Draco." Blaise grinned at him and walked away. Draco watched him before turning his attention to the Gryffindor table. Weasley had just been paired with a nightmarish Slytherin, and Hermione was hugging him goodbye. Draco sneered at the scene. How disgusting, a blood traitor with a mudblood.

"Next three couples — Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil; Seamus Finnegan and Parvati Patil; Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger."

Hermione froze and grimaced. Was her name just called with Draco? She dared a glance over her shoulder. He was making the same face, staring right at her. Hermione whipped her head around and stood up quickly, walking up to McGonagall.

"With Draco Malfoy?" Parvati caught up to her as they approached their professor. "Sorry to hear about that, Hermione."

Hermione tried not to scowl. She and Draco reached for a piece of parchment that had their names on it. Draco touched her hand and immediately withdrew it. Hermione glared at him again. His slate eyes flashed angrily. She took the parchment and walked into a nearby corridor.

Draco took his parchment and read from it, following Hermione. "Bloody helll, we're going to the States?"

Hermione was skimming the paper. "Looks like the two of us are off to California."

"Napa Valley," Draco read the name of the city. "Sound so bloody muggle-ish."

"Don't be so assumptions, Malfoy." Hermione glared. "That's where North Martin is."

"I won't even ask what that is," Draco rolled his eyes, "because I have a feeling you'll tell me anyway."

"North Martin is 'the Hogwarts' for witches and wizards living on the West coast of the United States," Hermione raised her chin slightly as she spoke. "Susanna North Martin is the namesake of the school. During the Salem witch trials she — hey!"

Draco had stomped off down the hallway.

/+/+/+/+/

Hermione dragged her trunk behind her as she walked to the Great Hall with Ron and Harry. "Where are you two headed?" She asked her two best friends.

"Ithaca, New York, in the United States." Ron told them, making a face. "I heard that it's bloody cold there."

"Pansy and I are going to Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S.," Harry said. "And I'm pretty sure Hogwarts has more occupants than the population of North Dakota."

Hermione laughed at her friends as they entered the Hall. Draco saw Hermione walk in as McGonagall approached him. "Mr. Malfoy, here is the portkey for you and Miss Granger." She placed a cork on the table next to Draco.

"Granger, c'mon." Draco called impatiently to Hermione. She separated from her friends and joined him. "Here's the portkey."

"Okay," Hermione said, eyeing the unusual device.

"Let's just get this rubbish over with," Draco muttered.

They landed with a thump on a cold cellar floor. Hermione groaned, pushing herself up slowly. She sat on the gourd, rubbing a sore spot on the back of her head when her eyes adjusted. There was one window in the cellar, sending light through shelves of bottles. The light filtered through the glass bottles, making a violet glow on the floor.

"Is that all wine?" Draco asked, dumbfounded as he rose unsteadily to his feet and moved towards the shelves. Each held seven rows, five bottles of wine in each. Turning around slowly, Draco saw the cellar was crammed with almost twenty shelves.

"Hey there!" A voice suddenly called from a staircase in the corner of the cellar. Surprised, Hermione jumped up and drew her wand, standing in front of Draco.

"Thanks for your protection, Granger but I—" Draco stepped out from behind her "—think I can defend myself." Hermione failed to reply.

The speaker came down the stairs. She looked about eighteen. Her dirty blonde hair was kept back in two tousled braids on either side of her suntanned face. Her wand stuck out of a pocket of her distressed denim shorts. "My name is Harlow Lafayette. Welcome to the Lafayette Winery!" Harlow smiled at them.

Draco was struck by the girl's mauve eyes and American accent. He finally managed to introduce himself. "Draco Malfoy," he held out a hand.

"Hermione Granger." Hermione gave Harlow a smile and a handshake after Draco. She felt something strange on Harlow's palm.

"I know your names. You both speak very charming-like," Harlow winked at them. "Wanna come upstairs? It's almost midnight, so I'll give you a tour of the estate tomorrow. You can see your bedroom tonight." She tramped up the stairs.

Hermione took the portkey, her wand, and her trunk up the stairs after Harlow. The blonde took Hermione and Draco through a beautiful, large kitchen and walked through a door to the outside. Then a smaller house came into view.

"That's where you'll be staying," Harlow pointed to the small two story structure. "There's a bedroom, bathroom, small kitchen, and a common room. But for most of the time you'll be with me in the house, or in the fields!" She grinned at the astonished pair.

For a second, no one spoke. "Alrighty then! You two have a good night, you hear?" Harlow waved and walked backwards towards the big house. "See you in the morning!"

Hermione and Draco stood frozen, staring at the house.

"Did she say _one _bedroom?" Hermione gawked.

"Did she say _fields_?" Draco moaned.f

The pair carried their suitcases and entered the house. Hermione flicked the light switch. Nothing. She carefully stepped through the first room, which, in the darkness of night, seemed to be the kitchen. Hermione peeked through an adjacent door and saw a quaint living room.

Draco followed Hermione up the stairs and down a hall to the bedroom. It wasn't very large. A single oversized bed lay against the right wall. On the left side were a closet and a set of drawers. A mirror rested against the back wall next to a Bay style window.

Hermione dropped her trunk on the floor with a thud. Exhausted, she collapsed on the bed. Draco set his suitcase against the foot of the bed. "I guess we go to bed now?" He asked.

"I guess," Hermione rolled off the bed. "I'm going into the bathroom to change. You stay in here." She rummaged around in her trunk and left.

Draco pulled on a white T shirt and loose shorts. He walked over to the grand window and opened it, letting the warm night breeze wash over his face.

Hermione walked back inside the bedroom. She saw Draco by the window, the moon illuminating his silhouette. Pulling up the sheets, Hermione slid into bed. Draco approached the bed and yanked the comforter off the bed. He dragged it onto the floor and tossed a pillow down too.

"I'm sleeping on the floor," Draco announced. He settled himself and closed his eyes.

Hermione was too exhausted to reply. She lowered her head onto the pillow, curling herself up to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for 8 Reviews, 8 Favs, and 19 Alerts already! In this story I'm counting on the fact (if true or not) that Draco turned 17 at the end of 6th year, and Hermoine will be 18 at the beginning of 7th year, so both are 17 in this story. **_

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__And who cares if you disagree_  
_You are not me_  
_Who made you king of anything?_

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Draco stirred. Someone was putting pressure on his stomach. Not hard pressure, but it felt as though someone's hand was resting on his abdomen. Draco tried to move his body out from under the force but he did not succeed. He opened his eyes groggily to face whoever had the audacity to wake him up.

Hesaw a blurry mix of green and blue. He blinked repeatedly, narrowing his eyes to make sense of what he saw. The orbs sharpened into two eyes staring at him.

Draco yelled loudly and flailed, waving his arms wildly at the beast sitting on him. Hermione heard his shouting and shot up out of bed, looking around quite startled. "What is it?" She cried.

There was contact on his cheek, sharp and soft, blunt and piercing. Draco heard his skin ripping. He rolled over, clawing himself free of the strangling comforter and hit his head on the wall. "Bullocks!" Draco hollered. He stumbled to his feet and raced to the bathroom.

His white blonde hair was matted and his grey eyes were wild. Draco flinched as he touched his jaw. A thin line of red starkly stood out against his pale skin.

"Draco, what is _wrong _with you?" Hermione yelled at him. She got out of bed and held Draco's attacker in her arms— a cat. It was black and white, with one apple green eye and one sapphire eye. "It's just a cat!"

"It was sitting on me!" Draco protested, storming back into the bedroom. Hermione was cradling the thing. "Don't touch it!"

"To quote someone," Hermione met his eyes with annoyance, "I think I can defend myself." She bent down and let the cat leap from her arms. It ran from the room.

"That bloody animal attacked me." Draco insisted weakly.

"Let me see," Hermione walked closer to Draco. He jutted out his chin and turned his head, like a little boy who cut his knee and now was expecting a sticker from mummy.

Hermione snatched her wand from beside her bed and held it in front of Draco's face. "_Repairo_." She murmured, watching the skin sew itself up. Draco walked away and began riffling through his suitcase.

After the pair was dressed they walked silently to the larger house. The estate was something impressive, standing smartly over an expansive field. Hermione stared at the never ending rows of foliage, guessing they were grapes. Draco reached the house first; pulling open the side door he remembered walking through with Harlow and Hermione last night.

The kitchen was bright and airy, the walls painted a sunny yellow. A dark granite island was centered in the room. The tile floor turned to hardwood where an elegant dark wood table stood. A boy was seated there, gulping down orange juice. A book lay beside him at the table.

"Good morning!" A cheery voice called. Draco looked towards the stove, where a woman was smiling at him. "You must be Hermione and Draco!"

Hermione smiled. "Yes, hello," she said.

"I'm Mrs. Lafayette," the woman introduced herself with a smile. She had dark blonde hair and smiling dark green eyes. "But that's my mother in law's name. You can call me Susan!" She shook the students' hands before turning back to cooking. With well-planned chorography of her wrist, Susan moved her wand this way and that, making breakfast. Draco's stomach rumbled.

"And that is my son, Matt." Susan pointed to her son at the table.

The light haired boy looked up from his book. His blue eyes glinted from across the room. "Nice to meet you two."

Draco entered the dining space and took a seat at the table next to Matt. Hermione followed.

"Hey mum!" Harlow's voice came through the kitchen before she did. Then the girl walked in, hugging her mother. "Look who's up!" She grinned at Hermione and Draco. "I didn't know city slickers could rise from bed before noon."

"Cut that out Harlow," Matt nudged his sister. "Of course they can. You know city folks are up at dawn to get to _work_."

Hermione felt her face flush. "You know, that's not true for all—"

"How old are you two?" Matt asked them, sipping from his glass of O.J.

"I'm seventeen," Draco answered, his eyes meeting Matt's. "And personally I enjoy sleeping in."

"Me too," Harlow winked at Draco. "On both accounts."

"I'm seventeen too." Hermione piped up.

"Still young, huh?" Matt teased, grinning at Hermione.

"Oh hush Matt," his mother appeared behind them, her wand keeping several plates in the air. "Just 'cause you're all grown up doesn't mean you can pick on the little ones."

"Matt is twenty-two," Harlow informed Hermione and Draco. "He's out of North Martin and thinks he rules the world. Thanks mum," she said when Susan lowered a full plate in front of her.

Draco looked down at his own plate. There were two pancakes, two waffles, two strips of bacon, a couple sausages, and over-easy eggs, all arranged to look like a smiling face. He grabbed his fork and stabbed a pancake, quick to eat.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Draco!" She beamed. "I'm going to call my husband in to meet you." Mrs. Lafayette left the room.

Hermione looked down at the hearty breakfast and felt a little lost.

"So are you two purebloods?" Draco asked after swallowing a forkful of pancake.

"Malfoy! You can't just ask someone that!" Hermione fumed at him. Draco only shrugged.

"It's no worry Hermione," Harlow reassured her before answering Draco. "Half-blood. My mom's a witch, and my dad's a muggle."

"That's why we grew up on a winery," Matt explained. "Not many wizard families do. Truth is I think dad's still a little uncomfortable around our kind!"

"Draco, Hermione!" A man entered the dining space. He had dark blonde hair like Harlow, and blue eyes like Matt. "I am Mr. Lafayette, call me Scott." His calloused hands shook the new-comers'.

"What are your plans for today?" Mrs. Lafayette asked the children as she rustled up another plate of breakfast for her husband.

"I figured we could show our guests around the winery," Harlow said over the rim of her mug.

"They aren't 'guests' much longer." Scott Lafayette grinned at Hermione and Draco. "I have a special project for you two."

Hermione forced a hunk of waffle down her throat. "What is that?"

"The Lafayette family has been famous winemakers for decades," Scott said, linking his fingers. "My father, his father, and /his/ father, and continuous men before them, were well-known craftsmen in this field. Each of them taught their sons how the business is run, and then that son would take over Lafayette Winery at the age of thirty. Then he will have a son, and that son will also learn the trade, and so forth the cycle continues." He looked at his son. "And that's what Matty will do too. As I was saying, your job. On the estate there are two private tasting rooms. I'd like to add a third. Your mission for the next three months is to help furnish the room. Matty and Harlow can show it to you this afternoon."

"Will they help us too?" Draco furrowed his brow. He did not remember signing up for a summer of slave labor.

"Matt is launching his company this summer," Mrs. Lafayette cast a proud glance at her son. "The H.B.C."

"It's the Half-Blood Club," Matt explained, setting his fork down. "I'm working with a few interns at the U.S. Ministry of Magic. Other founders of the H.B.C. are from the Ministries of Magic of other nations. It's a program to promote wellbeing of all half bloods. Most people just pay attention to purebloods or muggle-borns, but we matter too."

"Well for me, this summer I'm staying on the grounds." Harlow said.

"Oh, yes of course," Mr. Lafayette nodded at Harlow. "You can ask Harlow for anything you need when you're here. She will be staying on the estate for the entire summer."

Harlow stood up suddenly. "Are you two ready for a tour?"

* * *

Draco, Hermione, Matt, and Harlow were standing outside the house. Draco held up a hand to shield the bright sun. "Are these all grape vines?"

"Almost four hundred rows," Matt answered, walking past the sight that captivated the Hogwarts students. "We can keep going, follow me."

The group of four traveled in silence. "Your eyes are very unique," Hermione finally broke the quietness to Harlow.

"Oh, thank you!" Harlow grinned at Hermione. "Yea, they're different. Mum says it's 'cause of the wine in my family."

Draco shot her a funny look, taking another glance at her violet eyes. "Are you joking?"

Matt lead them to a medium sized building past the main house and the house Draco and Hermione were staying. "That is where two tasting rooms are," he pointed to the building, and kept walking. Behind that building was yet another; It was fairly small, one story. The walls on the outside were cream, and large windows plastered each side. "This is the third tasting space," Matt announced, pushing open large double doors.

Behind the impressive doors was an equally notable sight. The room was the size of a classroom at Hogwarts. Hermione turned her head, scanning the bare, snow-white walls. Dark panel framed windows filled the space with sunny light.

"This is where you two will be living for the next couple months," Harlow joked.

Draco's attention was diverted when he heard a noise from the window. He looked outside a second too late, seeing a figure walk by, but not a face.

Matt noticed too, and stormed over to the closed doors, wrenching one open. "This better not be—" his face flashed anger. Matt pushed the door open to its full wideness. "Rory is here."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the new reviews, faves, & alerts! You are all awesome! For my character Rory, I want you to picture that annoying guy in your class that always has something to say, then add in the charm + looks of Logan Lerman. Enjoy chapter three! (:**

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_Why do you do what you do to me, _  
_Why won't you answer me, answer me?_  
_Why do you do what you do to me,_  
_Why won't you answer me, answer me?_

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Chapter Three

A boy with auburn hair was leaning against the doorframe. His green eyes turned on Matt. "What, not happy to see me?"

"What are you doing here, Beaujolais {boh-jzsho-lay}?" Harlow joined her brother at the door.

"Just dropping by," the boy answered, winking at Harlow.

"Can't you see we're busy, Rory?" Matt growled at the 'Beaujolais' boy.

"What, showing your Help your new tasting room?" Rory shot a fake sympathetic look at Draco and Hermione.

"We're not 'the help'," Draco defended himself, crossing his arms. "Someone explain to me who the helll this prick is."

"Monsieur Rory Beaujolais, the third." Rory said and crossed the room to face Draco. "Descendant of the founder of Beaujolais winery, the _oldest _and finest winery in all of the United States of America."

"Oh shut up Rory!" Harlow groaned. "Your family's winery is only one year older than my family's."

"One year can make plenty difference, Lafayette." Rory replied, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. He trained his apple green eyes back on Draco. "Who are _you_?"

"Draco Malfoy." The Slytherin responded coolly.

Then Rory turned to Hermione, a wicked grin on his strawberry lips. "And you, mademoiselle?" To Draco's horror he watched as Rory kissed Hermione's hand. How bloody dreadful.

Hermione blushed. "Hermione Granger."

"Enchanté {ehn-shahn-tay}," Rory murmured. "I noticed your accent. London?"

"Enough of this," Matt stomped over and took a hold of Rory's ear. He yelped at the force of being dragged backwards. Matt pushed him out the door. "Get out of here Beaujolais!" Rory opened his mouth to speak just as Matt slammed the door in his face.

A few moments passed as Matt and Harlow exchanged frustrated glances. "I'm gonna need a better explanation," Draco quirked an eyebrow.

"Rory Beaujolais' family owns the neighboring winery here in Napa Valley," Matt told him. "Their family has been in business only one more year than us because our ancestors were friends; Pierre Beaujolais and Hobart Lafayette. They were going to go into the wine making business together, but Pierre turned on Hobart. It took him a year to recover and start the Lafayette Winery. For as long as Napa Valley can remember it's always been Beaujolais versus Lafayette."

"And we've been enemies ever since," Harlow finished, shutting the window where she watched Rory disappear. "I can't stand him."

Hermione held back her comment. She finally said: "so what do we do now?"

"I suppose you two can help out in the cellar first, the materials for this project haven't been delivered yet." Matt told them, opening the doors and walking back towards the main house.

"Matt hates Rory," Harlow whispered to Draco.

"I can understand why," Draco agreed, watching Matt leave.

/+/+/+/+/

"All you two have to do is organize the wines by year," Harlow explained in the cellar. She pointed to one of the shelves. "Start with this one. All the bottles of white wine are mixed up. I'll see you later!" Harlow waved and walked up the stairs into the kitchen.

"I hate it here," Draco protested moodily.

"Oh shut it Malfoy," Hermione glared at him. "You won't feel any better if you complain."

"Maybe I will, I'm starting to feel a bit more cheery already!" Draco's sarcastic reply irked Hermione. She decided not to say anything else.

Hermione pulled one bottle of wine from the shelf, then another. It took a few minutes of silence for her and Draco to empty the shelf. They lined up the bottles on the floor, label facing up. The white wine gleamed back from inside the bottles like a liquid gold carpet.

"Bloody helll," Draco breathed. He got on his knees to inspect a bottle. The year _'1985' _was inscribed in delicate cursive. "I wish I could take a tiny sip…"

"Just because it's a few years old you think it's worth it to open a perfect bottle of Lafayette wine that's clearly _not _ours?" Hermione said an edge in her voice.

"Will you just let up a little, Granger?" Draco moved into a sitting position.

Hermione began to sort the bottles. "I don't need to follow your advice."

"It could do you well you know." Draco rolled a bottle across the stone floor past an older bottle. "You know you're infamous for your uptight-ness."

"Do you think I care what people think?" Hermione ordered a pair of bottles; slightly impressed one was almost double her age.

"I know you give a rat's asss about what Weasley thinks of you." Draco said and pushed another bottle towards Hermione.

She bristled; wondering what was Ron was doing right now. "Just a question, is Millicent as bad as she seems?"

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Why? If I was you I wouldn't be worried about Bullstrode stealing Weasley." He scoffed. "It's not your fault you can't do better."

Hermione slammed her palms on the floor. "Will you just bloody shut up? I only asked you a simple question! Stop slipping in insults to my best friends."

"I think you're a little closer than friends," Draco smirked. "But hey, I'd be embarrassed to say that, too."

"Draco Malfoy, shut up right now." Hermione was standing now. She swiftly pulled her wand from her pocket.

Draco's eyebrows rose to his hairline. "Are you—?" he gestured at her wand, letting silence fill the end of his thought.

"Don't test me," Hermione growled. "I held back before; don't make me chose the other option now."

Draco laughed. "Merlin's beard, Granger, you're pathetic." He took his wand from his pocket and held it out, just as she was to him. "What if I make the first move?"

Hermione felt her throat go dry. "You won't. I'm a girl."

"You're a mudblood." Draco's eyes narrowed.

"Malfoy." Hermione's voice wavered and she clenched her jaw. Her arm was outstretched perfectly straight, stiff with determination. The tip of her wand skimmed Draco's and a small jolt of electricity passed through her body.

"PROTEGO!" Hermione and Draco were forced back, flying in opposite directions. Both wands rolled away from their hands. Hermione groaned and struggled into a sitting position. Draco got to his feet and saw a silvery shield separating him from Hermione.

"What the helll is going on?" Harlow was at the cellar stairs, her wand pointing back and forth from Draco to Hermione. "I leave for fifteen minutes and you two are about to fight a _duel _or something?"

Neither Hermione nor Draco spoke. Hermione blinked back tears, candidly embarrassed of her immature behavior. Draco was glaring at Harlow.

"You two need to get along!" Harlow put her left hand on her hip, keeping her wand directed at the shield in her right. "Not only is there glass and valuable wine from my family here, but also you are representing Hogwarts! Professor McGonagall gave us instructions that at any sign of aggression or agitation we should report you for new locations." Harlow's mauve eyes flashed. "Y'all don't wanna leave so soon do you?"

Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry." Her voice was as small as her confidence.

Harlow nodded and turned to Draco. He kept his eyes on hers. "Sorry."

"See, not too bad right?" Harlow glanced at the pair before flicking her wrist. The shield came down silently. Draco saw Hermione sitting on the floor, wiping her eyes.

"I'm going to leave now, but I'll be back." Harlow warned, walking slowly up the stairs. "Don't try anything funny, don't kill each other, and don't break anything when I'm gone."

Draco watched Harlow leave and leaned against the far wall. Hermione was still on the other side of the cellar by the wine bottles. He quietly crossed the room and got back to work.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for 19the reviews! Hopefully I can reach 25 before chapter 5 (: Sorry for a short chap today, I removed something from the beginning because I didn't like it much. Enjoy!**

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_I need another story_  
_Something to get off my chest_  
_My life gets kind of boring_  
_Need something that i can confess_

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Chapter four

Hermione slid her knife across a piece of golden toast, spreading Nutella. Matt and Harlow were seated across from her. She looked up briefly when Draco entered.

"So what's the plan for today?" Hermione asked Harlow.

"Well Matt's having Felicity over for dinner," she answered, pushing food around her plate. "And the goods needed for the third tasting room won't be here until tomorrow. I figured we could go to the lake before the dinner tonight."

"Who's Felicity?" Draco questioned Matt with a smirk.

Matt blushed a little. "Felicity Moses. She's on the H.B.C. committee, that's how we met. We're, eh, kinda together."

Harlow scoffed. "More like _married_. One day they probably will be!"

"That's sweet," Hermione defended Matt.

"Don't be upset you can't get a guy for yourself Harlow," Matt jabbed at his sister.

"I can get any guy at North Martin," Harlow stretched back in her chair. Draco watched as her sea green tee shirt rose above her khaki shorts, showing her tan hips.

"But you wouldn't know what the helll to do if you did!" Matt said quickly, laughing.

"Oh shuttup." Harlow punched her brother's arm. "Do you two have the pleasure of siblings?" Matt asked Draco and Hermione after dodging his sister's blow with a grin.

"Only child." Hermione said.

"Same," Draco said, munching on a strip of bacon.

"Boyfriend or girlfriend?" Harlow tilted her head slightly, her eyes flashing with wicked curiosity.

Hermione stared at her hands in her lap. "Um, not really."

Beside her, Draco choked on his orange juice after she replied, his thoughts on the ginger weasel.

Susan Lafayette walked over to the dining table. "What are you kids going to do today?" She bent down and picked up a black and white cat off the floor.

Draco flinched and jumped out of his chair. "Get that bloody thing out of here!"

"Dixie?" Matt's eyebrows contracted. "What do ya have against her?"

"That's my mum you're talking about, boy!" Mrs. Lafayette held the cat tightly.

"Your _what_?" Hermione's fork dropped from her hand and it rattled on her plate.

Susan sighed. "This is my mother Dixie. She was convicted of crimes in April and was sentenced to a lifetime in Azkaban, many years ago. But my wedding was that same year in September, so Dixie accepted a new sentence— she morphed into a cat for the last time as an Animagus, and was permanently changed into one. For the rest of her life she'll be a cat."

Both Hermione and Draco were speechless. A knock at the door broke the silence and everyone turned to look. The newcomer could not be seen from the table.

"Hello? Anyone home?" An amused voice came from the front door.

"Felicity!" Matt rose from his chair and quickly walked to the foyer. The sound of an embrace and a kiss could be heard.

"Hey Matty," the woman replied, a hint of a smile in her voice.

The pair walked into the kitchen area. "Hello! Are you two the brits?"

Draco shot her a look and Hermione smiled politely. Felicity had blonde hair that fell in waves down her shoulders. Blue eyes peeked from behind her side-swept bangs. "My name is Felicity Moses." She said and shook their hands then returned to her previous pose, leaning against Matt as he rested an arm around her hip.

"Are you hungry Felicity? Can I fix you a drink or something?" Mrs. Lafayette offered, giving Felicity a kiss on both cheeks.

"I'd love something." Felicity responded warmly, smiling. She turned back to the teens at the table. "How about some—"

"I'm home!" Mr. Lafayette's voice came bellowing through the door. He walked into the room, in his hands two paint buckets and multiple brushes. "Who's ready for some manual labor?"

"Is that for, uh, us?" Hermione pointed to the goods cradled in his arms.

"It sure is!" Scott beamed at her and Draco. "You two want to get started now? You'll be done by lunch."

Draco groaned. Harlow laughed as he left with her father and Hermione.

* * *

"Just cover as much as you can," Scott Lafayette told the pair when the three reached the bare tasting room. "You can finish what you need to after lunch." He clapped his hands, gave them each a wide grin, then turned and left.

Draco pulled out his wand and directed it to the paint brush. Nothing happened. "Bloody hell," he growled, trying again to levitate the brush.

"Oh just let me do it." Hermione said through gritted teeth. "You're probably just not focusing enough." She authoritatively drew her wand and pointed it to the brush. "Wingardium Leviosa!" The brush did not budge. Hermione let out a frustrating cry. "We'll just have to—"

"Don't say it!" Draco yelled, startling Hermione.

"—do it the non-magic way!" She finished her reply and glared at him. "Don't be a prat, Malfoy." Hermione sat down next to the paint bucket and tried to wiggle the lid off.

Draco watched Hermione struggle. "Need help, Granger?" He sneered, a hint of challenge in his voice.

"No, I can do it just _fine_." Hermione replied, and on the last word tried to yank off the top.

Draco shrugged and picked up the other paint can, and after minimal effort, pealed the lid off. Hermione tried not to react to Draco's success, knowing he was watching her. She once again curled her fingers around the lip of the can, gently working off the lid. With a final tug, the lid popped off. Hermione turned to Draco with smug look, but he was facing his wall, already dipping his brush in sage paint.

* * *

"Finally," Draco sighed. He looked around the newly painted room. The walls, the window panes, and the door panels were a handsome, light shade of sage.

"Merlin's beard, that took long enough." Hermione wiped her brown with the back of her hand. She smudged a little paint on her forehead. Draco wasted no time pointing it out.

"You got paint on your forehead_."_ Hermione frowned at Draco and checked her reflection in the shiny paint can lid.

Draco let his paint brush slip from his hands to the floor and went to the door. "I can't wait to—" he stopped.

Hermione scratched at the thin line of green above her left eyebrow. "What?"

"I can't get the door open!" Draco said, pulling at the doorknob. "I think it's painted shut!"

"What do you mean?" Hermione had a worried edge in her voice. She pushed Draco aside and pointed her wand at the doorknob. "Alohomora."

Nothing.

"It's like British magic doesn't work here!" Draco moaned.

"Of course it does. The door is just stuck shut because the paint dried. I'm thinking of a solution." Hermione scolded Draco and tapped her wand against her thigh.

"_You _painted the door didn't you? So it's _your _fault it is stuck!" Draco stomped over to the window.

"Well I painted the windows—" Hermione heard him try to open it "—oh no. They're stuck too. We're stuck in here!"

* * *

**Every good dramione has the pair trapped somewhere. Review? (:**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! Sorry for the wait, school just started and I've been busy. Please enjoy chapter five (:**

_

* * *

So I don't know what's real and what's not _  
_Always confusing the thoughts in my head _  
_So I can't trust myself anymore

* * *

_

Chapter Five

Draco didn't know how long he had been trapped in the room with Granger, but it was a long time. With the doors and all the windows shut, the tasting room felt like a sauna. Plus the paint fumes made Draco feel like he had a few glasses of firewhiskey.

"How long has it been?" Hermione asked. She was slumped against a wall beneath a window. Her wand was a few inches past her hand on the floor. For what seemed like hours she went around to each window and shouted just about every spell she knew at it. The only option she felt that remained was to blow a fireball straight through one of them — but she didn't want to burn down the building.

"Years?" Draco's reply was muffled. He was lying face down across the room. He was resting with his face towards the wall, and with his ear pressed to the ground, Draco could hear his heart beat. It seemed to be slowing down. Or was that just time slowing down?

"We have to get out of here." Hermione said, rolling her head upward to stare at the ceiling. "I am not going to die with you in here."

"I don't want to die even one million feet away from you," Draco said, struggling up to sit against the wall. On his face was a faraway expression.

"Malfoy are you okay? I think the fumes are getting to you." Hermione titled her head and tried to keep her eyes open. A few minutes past.

"You know what I'm gonna do if I get out of here?" Draco heard Hermione's voice.

"I don't care, Granger."

"I'm gonna — I'm gonna…"

It took Draco a few moments to realize her voice had trailed off without conclusion. "What, Granger?" He opened his eyes and looked at her. She was sleeping.

Then there was a knock at the door. Draco slowly got to his feet, tripped and fell down, then got up again. He walked unsteadily to the door. "Hello?" Draco heard unidentifiable voices from the other side.

"What was that?"

He was thrown backwards. The door was blasted open, rocking dangerously on its hinges. Draco hit the ground and managed to roll over.

"What's wrong?" It was Mr. Lafayette's voice. "Why are you two still here?"

Draco felt his eyes being pried open. "We're stuck. The doors, the windows. They're stuck." Draco said his hand waving feebly.

"Hermione, wake up!" Harlow shook her. Hermione jumped, inhaling deeply. "What? Oh, you're here!"

"You two painted yourselves in?" Scott Lafayette asked them, helping Draco to his feet and looking at him and Hermione.

The latter nodded. "We couldn't get out."

"Well c'mon now, let's get you inside." Harlow put an arm around Hermione and helped her to her feet as Scott led Draco outside.

At the house, Susan began to fuss over Hermione and Draco. She made them rest on the soft leather couches Hermione hadn't noticed before, and gave them each a glass of water.

"I feel bad leaving them alone, but Felicity's parents are finally in town before their three-week expedition in Alaska, and it will be too long before we see them again." Mrs. Lafayette said, wringing her hands.

"They'll be fine mum, they're old enough to stay home alone," Harlow reassured her mother when she entered the room.

Until now Draco didn't notice how nicely the Lafayettes were dressed. Scott had on dress pants and a black jacket, Susan was wearing a white blouse with khaki crops, and Harlow had on a flowery green dress.

"Where are you all going?"

"Felicity's parents are in town and we're going to dinner to meet them." Matt came in the room straightening his tie. Draco thought he saw Matt's hands shaking a little. "Are you all ready to go?"

Mr. and Mrs. Lafayette walked out of the room with Matt.

"Don't get into trouble," Harlow warned as she slowly left Hermione and Draco.

+one day later.

"We're getting married!" Matt bust into the kitchen shouting. His parents, Harlow, Draco, and Hermione were all seated at the kitchen table.

Susan rocketed out of her chair with a great cry of delight and smothered her son with a bear hug. "Oh Matty I couldn't be happier!"

"Son that's great news!" Scott wrapped his arms around Matt.

"It's about time!" Harlow grinned at her brother from her seat. "I'm really happy for you."

Matt thanked his sister and rushed from the room with his father and mother, with the latter quickly naming all the florists in the area.

"Aren't they a little young to be getting married?" Draco asked Harlow when the three left the room.

Harlow looked over her shoulder and dropped her voice. "Well, yeah. Even from across the pond Americans know about the Dark Lord in your part. Young couples like Felicity and Matt are worried about some 'apocalypse dark magic takeover' and so they're all getting married pretty young. It was common last generation too."

"Isn't it a beautiful day?" Matt entered the room, a huge goofy grin on his face.

"Congrats, Matt." Hermione said.

"Thanks," Matt grinned some more and sat down next to Draco, across from Harlow and Hermione.

Suddenly two shapes flew in from the open window. Draco looked up as two owls soared through the air and landed on the table; one brown and one grey.

"You've got mail!" Harlow said after she caught the letters from one owl and tossed two envelopes at Draco. The owl was strutting around the table and getting awfully close to Draco. He took his mail and glared at the bird.

"You've got some too, Hermione." Matt took two envelopes from the second bird's claws and tossed them at Hermione.

She swallowed her sip of orange juice and looked down at where the letters landed by her fork.

"How do you know this is for me? I don't see any writing on the front." Draco was studying his envelope, where his name did not appear.

"Tap the paper twice with your wand. The letters are charmed so the mail won't be traced. The whole point of this summer is that you won't be found." Harlow told Draco.

Draco picked up his wand and poked the envelopes with it. Slowly his name and the Lafayette winery's address formed in neat, boyish script on one, and in loopy cursive on the other. He shooed Harlow's owl away from his juice glass and began to read.

'_White Lightning—__ Hey mate, how is it going? Sorry for the nickname, I couldn't think of anything better than what we made up back in second year. I'm not supposed to write this with our real names, but rather use a code name. I'm somewhere in Montreal, Canada with Luna Lovegood. It's been a few days now. The family we're staying with lives in the huge old house and Luna and I are in charge of packing up a few floors before the family moves at the end of the summer. There's a girl our age living with us, Nathalie, and a few teens in the neighborhood. We hosted a party last night and Nattie busted out this game called Pair Dare. It's a pretty lusty game, bloke. Well Luna and I got paired up and … heh, well we know each other better now. That's all for now. Don't let Granger kill you! —Black Thunder' _

All of the sudden Draco started laughing. Hermione looked at him with a terrified expression.

"You alright there?" Matt asked him.

Draco nodded and chuckled, and opened his next letter.

'_My Slytherin sex god—__ I miss you sooooo much! I'm spending too much time with Potter. He isn't sexy and hot like you, or mean and likes to push me away like you do. He actually listens when I talk to him, which isn't often, and he doesn't want to have casual hook-ups! Potter has even smiled at me once. You never do that. Okay anyway, I'm not trying to make you jealous or anything, but I've got to go. Love you, miss you! —Your Slytherin goddess' _

As Draco put his letter down, Harlow leaned a little bit and read some of what Pansy wrote.

"You're a _'sex god_?'" Her eyebrows rose.

"Pansy?" Hermione asked without looking up from opening her first letter.

"It's just a girl who is obsessed with me. My best bloke wrote too." Draco said. Hermione pulled her letter out of the envelope and began to read.

'_HJ—__ I assume if you're reading this Malfoy hasn't killed you yet? Well if he hasn't, you are reading this anyway, so it's all good. This sucks. I hate Millicent! She is so big and mean and scary! But my host family cooks really good food. I love it here. It's bloody cold though. Okay I can't think of anything else, so I'm going to wrap this up. I hope that Malfoy hasn't ruined your holiday yet. Best wishes for that. —RB' _

Hermione gave a small sigh and dropped the letter on the table, opening up the second.

_'Curly— I hope everything is going well. Pansy and I are not getting along horribly. Sometimes she won't talk to me. I'm not being mean, but I think she wants me to… she has a huge crush on Malfoy so maybe it's a turn on. If you're reading this Malfoy hasn't killed you yet. And if you're reading this, you haven't killed him, and I bet you wouldn't get mail in Azkaban. But you could probably find a way out of Azkaban… well that's all for now. I hope your town has more going on than mine does! —Messy' _

"Who wrote to you, Hermione?" Matt asked.

"Harry and Ron," she answered and put the letters down on the table. Harlow dropped her fork and grabbed the top letter.

"Harry Potter?" "Yes, that's him. Harry is my best friend." Hermione smiled.

Draco rolled his eyes. "If only scarhead knew of his international fame."

"Of course he's internationally famous!" Harlow cried, waving the letter around in her hands.

"Merlin's beard calm down, are you some sort of fangirl?" Draco asked, looking revolted.

"Sort of, well I just respect him for his Quidditch skills." Harlow replied, nodding, and set the letters down by Hermione. "Seeker his first year? I made the team my third year."

Susan Lafayette came in the room, still dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "Oh, I see you got mail? Harlow won't you fetch them some paper to reply?"

Her daughter impaled a sausage with her fork in one hand, and grabbed her wand in the other. She flicked her wrist a few times and paper came flying in the room.

Draco was drinking from his glass when the bundle circled around the table and hit him in the back of his head. Matt tossed him a pen and he began to write.

'_Black Thunder—__ You really couldn't have thought of a better code name? Whatever, this one is amusing. Granger and I haven't killed each other yet. Better report that Crabbe, I heard he's taking bets. Put down a few galleons for me. But really, Looney Lovegood? Don't let that Canadian air change you too much, mate. How about that Nathalie chick? —White Lightning' _

Hermione looked at the pen Harlow gave her. "You don't use quills?"

"Quills?" Harlow repeated. "C'mon Hermione you know what century it is don't you."

Hermione gave her a small smile and started to writing. _'_

_Messy— I understand your code, very clever, Harry. Things aren't going very well with Malfoy, he's incredibly thick and close-minded, and arrogant and obnoxious… but I'll stop there. My host family is very amiable, and they own a winery. The son Matt just got engaged! Harlow is our age, and she is very outgoing. Good luck with Pansy, she doesn't sound much better a partner than Malfoy. —Curly' _

_'RB— Hello! I wish things were going better for you. I can't imagine Millicent being any less of a monster than what you described. Maybe by the end of the summer you two will become acquaintances. Don't let her Slytherin attitude get to you. What is your host family like? Take care. —HJ.'_


	6. Chapter 6

_And we fall back_  
_Into the same patterns_  
_Same routine_  
_But your temper's just as bad_  
_As mine is_

* * *

Chapter six

"Today you two can pick up the furniture from the store in town." Mr. Lafayette said to Draco and Hermione. "It's a place called Danny's on the end of Spruce, hard to miss."

He handed Hermione a receipt. She nodded. "Not a problem."

She left with Draco around noon. Mrs. Lafayette gave them a few galleons for lunch if they happened to be out too long and got hungry. 'Town' wasn't very far from the winery and would only take minutes to get to.

Draco made a face. He and Hermione had been following a dirt road that Harlow described as the 'back way,' and the fastest way. "Why couldn't this road be paved?"

Hermione bit her tongue and shook her head.

Draco continued to mope all the way there. "Look how small this town is," and "I bet all these businesses are owned by muggles," and he also jumped when he saw a car.

"A sign of civilization," Hermione glared at Draco. "You should be rejoicing."

Draco entered Danny's first. It was a very big shop, almost the size of the Great Hall. The first half of the store was arranged to show furniture set-ups. Mock living rooms and kitchens were sprawled across the space, lit attractively by soft over-head lighting. The back half looked like rows and rows of tall shelves that almost reached the ceiling. Hermione walked ahead of Draco to the front desk, where a young man was bent over a book.

"Welcome to Danny's, the best furniture supplier on the West coast!" He greeted her with a smile, pushing his brown hair out of his eyes.

"Hello, my name is Hermione Granger," she introduced herself. The boy shook Hermione's outstretched hand.

"Oh, Hermione! You're staying at the Lafayette's right?" He asked. "My name is Bryan."

By this time Draco found his way to the front desk where Hermione was talking to Bryan. "And you must be Draco!" Bryan greeted him.

"Draco Malfoy," Draco nodded.

"We're here to pick up a few things for the Lafayettes," Hermione explained, giving Bryan the receipt.

He nodded, skimming it over. "Alright, not a problem. Give me a sec; all the furniture is kept back here. Do you two want a look?" Bryan smiled at Hermione.

"Uh, sure." Hermione flushed.

She and Draco followed Bryan to the back of the store, where the tall shelves reached the top of the building. A closer look yielded that the objects on the shelves were pieces of furniture — sofas, chairs, tables, lamps, cushions.

"I've never seen so many couches in my life," Hermione breathed, looking upwards.

"Your order is right over here," Bryan said as he led Hermione and Draco to isle 219. "It's a few things for the new tasting room right? I'll just stuff them into a Danny's Bag."

"A Danny's Bag?" Draco furrowed his brows.

"There's a simple charm on it. From the outside it appears to be just a small cotton sack. We push everything inside of the bag and the bag doesn't grow in size. It just goes in." Bryan told them, picking up a light brown bag from a nearby table. Hermione figured it wouldn't hold more than one standard size Hogwarts textbook.

"An Undetected Expansion charm," She blurted.

"Wait, so you're a wizard?" Draco ogled at Bryan.

"Eh, yes, I am. And I know you are too." He replied with a strange look.

"But you seemed like such a _muggle_." Draco told Bryan.

"Malfoy stop!" Hermione shrilled. She fumbled and tried to apologize.

Bryan excused himself politely. He returned a few minutes later with a bag. It looked bulkier than it was previously. Bryan took out his wand, first with a look at Draco, and then the bag hovered in the air. "Be sure to keep it in the air. There's quite a lot of furniture in there, it's heavy."

Draco took out his wand before Hermione could. "Wingardium Leviosa." The bag stayed in the air, now in control by Draco.

"I guess that's all, thanks for your help." Hermione said and looked at Bryan.

"Not a problem." Bryan nodded. "Just a question, are you two attending Alice's party this Friday?" he saw Draco open his mouth and added, "She's a witch."

Draco shut his mouth, and then opened it again. "I'm sure Harlow could get us there."

Bryan grinned. "I'll see you there then. Tell Harlow I said hello?"

* * *

"And Bryan says hello," Hermione told Harlow. She and Draco had got back to the house and the bag was sitting on the tasting room floor. Harlow was inside the room, taking a look at the new paint color.

"Does he?" Harlow tilted her head. "Okay."

"He seems like a good guy," Hermione offered. She was bending down and trying to work the zipper of the bag open.

"I thought you only dated blood traitors and Quidditch players, Granger?" Draco snarled from across the room. He was leaning against the wall by the door, his arms folded across his chest.

"You know what they say," Harlow winked at Hermione. "Once you date a Quidditch player you don't go back. What's his name?"

Hermione hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Viktor Krumm."

"Are you serious?" Harlow's jaw dropped.

"Well we went to the Yule Ball together, which is like American prom I guess, but I was only in my fourth year, and well, he kind of fancied me, but I…" Hermione's face grew pink and her voice tailed off.

"That's totally awesome." Harlow said. "Well done. If you two like dancing you'll love the Winemaker's Invitational. All the wine families in the area get together at this gorgeous ballroom and we throw a party. The wine menu always has the best selection; it's to die for. It's in a few weeks. You don't even need a date." As Harlow spoke she noticed Hermione struggling with the Danny's Bag so she reached down and unzipped it. "But you do need a dress. And you can't wear the same one as at Matt's wedding."

"Are we going to that?" Draco asked.

Harlow nodded. "Of course y'all are! But you need a date for the wedding."

"A date." Hermione repeated.

"There's a wizard carnival in town on Friday. A lot of local kids will be there," Harlow said, trying to reassure Hermione.

"Wait, Bryan told us Alice's party is Friday." Draco pointed out.

"Yes, it is." Harlow laugfhed maniacally, "but you two aren't ready for an Alice White party. If Lafayette and Beaujolais wine is platinum, White's family wine is gold. So is Montclair. Those two families are the second best after mine."

"I think that I _can_ handle a White party," Draco protested.

"Fine, we'll see at her next party. But you two should look forward to the carnival," Harlow smiled at Hermione and Draco. "You two can meet some locals and maybe find a date for the wedding!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Enjoy chapter seven! Please review (:**

_

* * *

I learned the hard way_  
_That they all say things you want to hear_  
_And my heavy heart sinks deep down under you and_  
_Your twisted words

* * *

_

Chapter seven

Living with Draco Malfoy was an absolute nightmare. In the small house there was only one bathroom. It was had one toilet, a shower/bathtub combo, two sinks, and two mirrors. Hermione and Draco were never inside at the same time, except for the few times Draco accidently barged in while Hermione was in the shower. The first time she threatened to hex him into oblivion. The second time she nearly did.

Living with Hermione Granger was a total torture. Draco wasn't a slob, but he didn't mind if a few things on his side of the room were out of place. There was only one bed in their shared bedroom, and on the first night he decided to sleep on the floor with the comforter. Draco didn't use the closet. His clothes fell on the floor at the end of the day when he was exhausted. He'd tiredly toss his tee shirt and it would accidently land somewhere he didn't mean it to — for example, on Hermione's head. She ripped it off her brown curls and shouted at Draco before throwing it back at him. Granger also had a habit of 'organizing' his space when he wasn't in the room. Draco would come back from his shower and see all of his stuff shoved against the wall.

"Granger, don't _touch _my stuff!" Draco roared when he came into their bedroom Friday morning. His clothes from the night before looked like they had been picked up and thrown at the wall.

"Well if you weren't such a slob I wouldn't have to!" Hermione shouted back.

"I'm not a slob, Granger, I'm just not as obsessed with order and neatness as you are."

"How long are you going to act like a prick around me?" Hermione felt her voice break.

Draco stared at Hermione and told her in an even voice, "Until I die, and then a few days after."

"You're an arse, Malfoy. I just wanted a normal summer, but I got stuck with the worst bloke in my class." Hermione felt tears flood her eyes. She pushed past him and stormed out the door, stomped down the stairs, and flew out of the house.

Hermione wiped her eyes before she came in the Lafayette's kitchen.

"Good morning Hermione," Susan greeted her. "I just set out breakfast for you and the kids. Is Draco much farther behind you?"

"He probably isn't," Hermione answered quietly and sat down next to Harlow.

"Are you excited for tonight?" Harlow asked her.

Draco came in the kitchen and sat down at the table. Matt walked in and took the seat next to Draco. "How's your eye for decorating, mate?"

"I never gave it much thought," Draco said and lifted a cinnamon bun off the serving plate in the center of the table.

"Well today dad wants you to arrange all the furniture in the new tasting room," Matt said through a mouthful of breakfast.

* * *

"I think this couch should go under the window." Hermione tapped her wand against her thigh impatiently. She and Draco had been discussing furniture arrangements for almost two hours now. Well, there was more fighting than talking. The pair of them couldn't decide on one thing. Draco said the two of sofas should sit near the door, Hermione said they belong behind the table. When Hermione wanted the table in the center of the room, Draco wanted further in the back.

"I still think the sofas should stay by the door. People can sit in them and relax before the start tasting." Draco said to Hermione. He carefully used a summoning charm to move the couches to where he sought best.

"They _belong _by the table, so guests can sit in the best light before tasting and enjoy the view from the windows," Hermione calmly explained, but her voice had a hint of stress.

"You know what Granger, I feel awfully bad for the bloke who has to marry you. He'll have to actually have this conversation with you about a real living space." Draco growled. He crossed his arms and his wand pressed against his chest.

"Let me guess Malfoy, you are just going to hire a team of decorators for you? And then you and your pureblood wife and your stuck-up family will drink wine and gloat to each other while lounging in your sitting room!" Hermione spat at Draco.

"Just a question, have you ever _had _a glass of wine?" Draco said, lifting a brow.

Hermione straightened up a little. "What does that have to do with this?"

"We're here at a bloody winery, Granger, it has plenty to do with it!" Draco scoffed. "You have to have a glass."

"What if I don't want one?" Hermione replied, and now she crossed her arms. "And where are you going to find a bottle?"

"I think you should have one." Draco stated simply. "Sit down, I'll get you something good. I bet I can find a bottle of wine around here…"

Hermione watched Draco walk around the tasting room, and then finally leaving. "Malfoy come back!" she ran to the door and yelled after him. Draco didn't turn around. Hermione rolled her eyes and walked back into the tasting room. So far they had arranged the room in a couple different ways. Currently there were two sofas by the door opposite each other. Then came a dark oak table centered in the room. After the table was two tall shelves with glass doors that would hold a great number of wine bottles.

"Alright, all I could find were these cups," Draco carried two white cups in one hand and the neck of a bottle of wine in the other.

"You want me to drink wine out of a Styrofoam cup?" Hermione asked, bewildered. "Isn't this a little below you?"

"It's good wine Hermione, and I'm not going to drink it from the bottle," Draco said as he brought the items to the table. "At least, not in front of a girl."

"I don't care what you do Malfoy." Hermione told him and joined Draco at the table. She watched him put a cup in front of her and one in front of him. He screwed up his face a little as he worked the cork out of the bottle. She laughed.

"Shut it, Granger." Draco huffed at her. He set the cork on the table and leaned over to pour an inch of wine in Hermione's cup. Draco poured some in his and left the wine bottle in the center of the table and sat down.

"Cheers …?" Hermione said softly, looking into her cup and picking it up.

"Here's to getting Granger to loosen up." Draco said and tilted the cup. He took a sip of the violet drink and closed his eyes.

Hermione watched Draco and felt a pang of jealousy. Draco looked so natural and at ease while drinking alcohol. She looked down into the cup in her hand. With a loud inhale of breath, she put the cup to her lips and took a tentative sip.

* * *

"Draco, Hermione, are you two in here?" Harlow opened the door of the tasting room. There was no one inside. However, the arrangement looked great. She shut the door and scratched the skin behind her ear.

"Harlow!"

"Oh God!" Harlow jumped. The voice came from behind and scared her. "Oh, Hermione, it's just you."

"Of course it's just me. Who else would it be?" Hermione smiled a little too widely. "Are we leaving for the carnival soon?"

Harlow stared at her for a second. "Um, yes we are, Matt and Felicity are ready to go now. Where is Draco?"

"Right here," Draco appeared from behind Hermione, a little out of breath.

"Are you okay?" Harlow eyed Draco suspiciously.

Draco bit his lip and allowed a sideways glance at Hermione. "I gave Granger her first cup of wine."

"How much did she have?"

"Just a cup. A Styrofoam cup, not much." Draco said.

"She's a small girl Draco, it didn't take much to get her a bit tipsy." Harlow replied, watching Hermione study the setting California sun. Draco had no reply.

A car honked and caught the three's attention. "You kids ready?" Matt called from behind the wheel. Felicity waved from the passenger seat.


	8. Chapter 8

**Enjoy chapter eight! (:**

_

* * *

This may never start.  
We could fall apart.  
And I'd be your memory.  
Lost your sense of fear.  
Feelings insincere.  
Can I be your memory?

* * *

_Chapter Eight

"What are we riding first?" Hermione craned her neck out of the open truck window. Matt was pulling up to the carnival. It was a spectacle of colors — lights glittered on whirring rides, kids pulled at neon cotton candy and stuffed it in their mouths, light bulbs flashed as games were won, and huge yellow teddy bears were passed from carnival employee to young child with a mega-watt smile.

"Easy there girl," Felicity laughed from the front seat. "I didn't get the impression you were an adrenaline junkie!"

The five of them climbed out of the truck and walked into the festival.

"We should hit the haunted house, definitely." Harlow said excitedly. "Geez, I forget every year this place makes me feel like a kid!"

"I haven't gone to a carnival in ages. At least maybe seven years?" Hermione looked around her at all the sights.

"I've never been to a carnival." Draco said, his tone a strange mix of pride and curiosity.

"We have to ride the Music Express first!" Matt shouted over the crowd. "Are you guys in?"

Matt took Felicity's hand and led Hermione, Draco, and Harlow to a ride in the center of the park. It was a huge circular track, with about ten cars riding on the loop in a large circle. The course was elevated at points, and the riders screamed gleefully as their car raced to the top of the small hills and plummeted.

"Let's do it!" Harlow shouted.

Each car held three people. The group of five split up when they got passed the worker in a red and white striped shirt — Felicity and Matt in one car and Draco, Hermione, and Harlow in another. Draco climbed first, Hermione slipped a little as she sat in the middle, and Harlow got in last. Draco reached up for the bar and pulled it down, crossing over their laps. With a buzz and a bell-ring, the red and white striped man started the ride.

Draco's stomach sank down to his toes. The car sped up a hill and flew down the other side, pulling a shriek from Harlow and Hermione. Draco allowed himself a small smile as his breath caught in his throat.

Harlow put her hands up, her fingers dancing in the air as it rushed past. She tilted her head back and laughed loudly, the car soaring up and down on the circle track. Harlow looked over and grinned at Draco (who was looking paler than usual with a grin on his face) and Hermione (who was flushed and screaming).

Hermione couldn't stop giggling. The lights and colors and people flew by her as the tiny car whirled in circles. Every time the car hit a curve, Harlow was sent sliding into her, and then Hermione would bump into Draco quite forcefully. Hermione's eyes watered as the ride picked up speed and she knocked into Draco. Her heart was beating like a trapped bird in her chest, fluttering against her ribs. Her stomach was turning flips. She felt weightless.

The ride ended a few minutes later. Shaken and dazed, the teens climbed out of the car and walked to meet Matt and Felicity.

"That. Was. Amazing." Hermione breathed, shaking her head slowly.

Harlow let out a loud laugh. "Wasn't it?"

"Want to ride again?" Matt asked the group with a grin.

Draco nodded a little. "Let's do it."

* * *

"Okay, three times is enough." Harlow was tripping over herself as she exited Music Express with Draco and Hermione. They had each taken a turn in the middle, and it was more than possible each of them had bruises on their sides from bumping into one another or the side of the car.

"Let's, let's do the haunted house now," Hermione said, catching her breath.

The group walked (rather unsteadily) to a house a small distance away from the carnival itself. Another man in a red and white striped shirt opened a door with a devilish grin. Matt walked in first, then Felicity, still holding his hand, followed by Draco, Hermione, and Harlow.

It was quiet in the house. The first hallway was long and narrow, so they had to walk single-file. Flickering lights sparked from overhead. Along the walls were pictures with moving subjects — a man slow dancing with a woman in a burning room, a cat licking a red-stained knife, two headless bodies standing for a photo, and others. Hermione swallowed and moved on.

At the end of the corridor was a choice to go left or right. Matt chose left. This hall was not lit. Draco slipped his hand in his pocket to check for his wand. All five of them quietly spoke.

"Lumos."

Five blue-white orbs of light appeared. Harlow could now see around the room. It looked like a morgue. The walls were shiny stainless steel with little doors on them. Hermione reached out to touch a handle.

"Hermione don't!" Felicity hissed.

"Oh c'mon," Matt reassured her. Felicity was clinging to Matt like a lifeboat on a sinking ship. "Do it Hermione."

Hermione reached out for the handle with her left hand. It was very cold. She pulled. Nothing. She jerked her arm and then the door slid open. Slowly she opened the small heavy door. At first she thought she saw feet, a dagger pushed right through one foot. But when Hermione pulled the door further out, the body disappeared. She pushed the door closed again. When she pulled it towards her again, the body seemed to be there at first, but then it would vanish…

"Where did it go?" Draco whispered. The four were watching Hermione.

Suddenly Harlow shrieked. There was a hand on her shoulder. She shook it off and whipped around to see the body. A man was standing there, looking rather … dead. Parts of his face had decayed, showing a white cheekbone and pieces of tissue. One ear was missing, and his hair hung in his face in clumps. Yellow eyes widened. His mouth opened, showing broken teeth. A horrible sound issued from it, like some sort of moan-shout.

"_OH MY GOD_!" Felicity was screaming now, and ran out of the room. Harlow started taking small, stunned steps backward.

Hermione pointed at it and the man's foot. "A dagger, right there! It escaped from the door I opened."

The thing twitched and then started shuffling towards Matt, Draco, Hermione, and Harlow.

"Stupefy!" Draco yelled, his wand aimed at the man.

Then there was laughter. Matt doubled over, clutching his sides, cackling like an idiot.

"Matthew Calvin what is _wrong _with you?" Harlow cried at her brother.

"It's not real, Harlow!" Matt said between gasps and laughs.

Hermione froze. The man was halfway to Draco, who appeared to have ignored Draco's spell. Draco narrowed his eyes as it came closer. The thing was a foot away when Draco stuck out his wand and poked it in the stomach. It flickered.

"It's not real." Draco said. He felt himself laugh.

"Merlin's beard," Hermione sighed and palmed her forehead. "My heart is going a mile a minute."

The four of them watched as the decaying man walked in circles before disappearing.

"That was pretty good," Harlow said. She was stiffened and put on a false face of composure. "A very good trick."

"He got you guys so good!" Matt was crying now from laughter. "I haven't fallen for that since the first year I walked through this."

"Oh shut up Matt." Harlow prodded her brother with her wand. "We have to find Felicity."

Draco led the way this time. He left the room first, with Matt, Harlow, and Hermione in tow. The next room was covered in mirrors. The floor and three walls all reflected the faces of the group.

"Felicity?" Matt called.

"Matt?" A far off voice responded.

"We're coming babe!" Matt yelled back.

Hermione smiled and titled her head. "You are in love with a nice girl."

Matt stopped walking and chuckled. "Yes, I am. I'm lucky."

"She's a little easily frightened though, isn't she?" Draco smirked.

"Just a tad." Matt held his forefinger and his thumb a small space apart.

"This place is giving me the creeps." Harlow said after a few moments of silence. Every way she turned she saw the same thing. She couldn't tell how far apart the group was, because in all the mirrors it seemed that the four of them were all next to each other. But without noticing, the four of them had split up. Then their wands' light went out.

"It's a sort of darkening charm," Matt's voice explained from an unknown distance away. "It's just to scare you, stay calm guys."

Hermione put her hand on the smooth mirrored wall and walked slowly. She couldn't tell if she was moving closer to the exit or back to the morgue. Then she bumped into something.

"Who is this?" She put her hands out to steady herself. But there was nothing there. Certainly there was an object there a second ago?

"Hermione?" Harlow's hand hit something solid, but then it moved.

"I'm going to count, follow my voice." Matt said. "One, two, three …"

Hermione kept her hands along the wall until she felt something. This time the thing under her fingers was warm. The hand closed around hers and Hermione walked forward with someone in the pitch dark.

"Lumos." Matt's wand lit. Once he was far enough away from the charmed space, his wand would light. His light fell on three faces. Draco was leading Hermione towards Matt, and Harlow was on the other side of the hall.

Harlow turned to see Hermione and Draco only a few feet away from her. "I didn't know you two were so close!"

Draco was confused for a second. Was she speaking about the distance between him and Harlow, or did she notice he found Granger's hand in the dark?

"Matt!" Felicity's voice echoed in the hall before she came into view. Her blonde hair was flying as she raced into Matt's arms.

"Thank God," Harlow grinned. "What made you think leaving the pack was smart, Felicity?"

"No idea." She confessed, shaking her head and letting go of Matt. "Want to try the games now?"


	9. Chapter 9

**A lengthy chapter today! Enjoy! I will update sooner after this (:**

* * *

_But I could never belong to you,_  
_For all the troubles of an onward path_  
_The confusion lacks a tragic punch,_  
_When we take the desired turns_  
_All we have is all we can find,_  
_No-one else can make this mine_

* * *

Hermione yawned lazily. Her arms stretched above her head and her hands curled into fists. She opened her eyes. Something huge and yellow fell in the corner of her eye.

Sitting up, Hermione got a better look of the thing as she blinked sleep from her eyes. It was a huge bear. She put a hand on its large yellow belly as if to check its existence.

"Do you remember Hugo?"

Hermione whipped her head around to see Draco standing in the doorway. He was leaning in the door frame. "Excuse me?" She finally found her voice.

"Hugo. You named that Hugo." Draco walked in and sank into the chair in their bedroom. "You went on this long rant about how you wanted to name your son Hugo one day, but you thought it might be a little too goofy for a human, so you'd give the name to that."

"Did I really?" Hermione asked, her eyebrows knitted. Malfoy could be lying.

"Riddle me this: how much do you remember from last night?" Draco looked at her with a weird expression.

"We went to the carnival," Hermione took a breath. "Music Express, Haunted House, games."

"I guess you forgot about the game I won that in." Draco pointed to the bear. "You kept trying but you couldn't win. I think that wine hindered your athletic ability. At least, that's what you told me."

"Oh bullocks," Hermione sank into her bed and pulled the sheet over her head. Then she pulled it off. "What game?"

"It's called Stun-a-Gnome. You kept telling me you were a pro after you went on about how inhumane the game was. The idea of the game is little gnomes poke out from this fake lawn and you have to Stupefy as many as you can."

"Well, how did I do?"

"You hit ten."

Hermione smiled. "That sounds pretty good."

"Out of one hundred. I hit ninety." Draco said smugly, a smirk on his face.

Hermione set her lips in a line. "I see. So if you won this, why didn't you keep it?"

"You took it from me on the way home. Well, you kind of fell asleep on it." Draco looked at her oddly. "On the way home in the truck you just sort of took it from me and used it as a pillow. I honestly don't want it back. I think you drooled on it."

"Ah, lovely." Hermione looked at the bear again.

The kitchen was sunny and warm when Draco and Hermione entered.

"Good morning you two," Mr. Lafayette greeted them from the stove.

"It's been a while," Hermione said to him and sat down.

"Summer is the busiest time for me. The best grapes are harvested at late August to September, and there's still a lot of work to be done this time of year." He told them, and then added "Harlow, the Montclair girls called for you."

"Oh that's wonderful!" Harlow beamed and jumped out of her chair. "Draco I am so excited for you to meet the Montclair twins."

"Now that you mention it, one of them would be a great match for Draco, eh?" Matt said to his sister.

"The Montclair girls are Gwendolyn and Gia. They are gorgeous, pureblood, rather stuck-up, and blonde." Harlow told Draco excitedly.

"Sounds like a good match or distant cousins," Hermione snorted.

"I wanted to meet them for a Saturday breakfast," Harlow said after a playful look at Hermione. "Besides, you need a date for Matt's wedding."

"You're really stuck on this match-making thing aren't you?" Draco finally spoke. Harlow only smiled.

* * *

She was right, Draco thought to himself as he and Matt, Harlow, and Hermione entered the small diner to meet Gwendolyn and Gia. The two identical blonde girls sitting a booth were gorgeous.

"Good morning guys," Harlow said as she slid into the booth next to Gwendolyn and Gia. The three swapped air kisses. "I'd like you to meet Draco and Hermione. They're from London, the Hogwarts School, visiting here for the summer."

Both girls eyed Draco up and down. They flashed matching flirty grins and winks.

"I'm Gwendolyn," the girl with long blonde hair and green eyes said.

"And I'm Gia," the sister with blue eyes introduced herself.

"Draco Malfoy," he replied, giving the girls a small smile.

"I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione felt the need to say. Gwendolyn and Gia gave her polite smiles.

There was a pause before the waitress arrived. She had a magic quill, like the one Hermione saw Rita Skeeter use before. The quill took down their orders and the pad of paper flew to the kitchen. Shortly after their food arrived. Gwendolyn and Gia ordered fruit tarts, Harlow got a stack of blueberry pancakes, Matt asked for chocolate chip pancakes, Hermione ordered toast with Nutella, and then Draco got two English muffins.

"English muffins?" Gia said when Draco ordered. "Oh, I get it." Draco wasn't sure if he 'got' it.

"I didn't see you two at the carnival." Harlow said to the twins before she sliced a pancake.

Gwendolyn sighed. "Alice roped us into helping her prepare for her party. Will you attend?"

"Besides Matt's being engaged, the three of us will be there," Harlow said gesturing to herself and the Hogwarts duo.

"I heard she got a Pair Dare from her Beauxbatons friend," Gia said with wide eyes, but then gave a wicked smile.

"I think I've heard of that," Draco looked up from buttering his breakfast.

"I heard some Beauxbatons students talking about it during my fourth year," Hermione sounded repulsed.

"It's probably the best Wizarding party game invented so far," Gia defended.

"You'll definitely get a chance to play it before leaving California." Matt said, seeming to try to reassure her.

"When is Alice's party?" Draco asked.

"I think it's this Friday," Gwendolyn responded.

"It's right before the fourth of July party," Gia added. "You are hosting one this year aren't you?"

"Every year!" Harlow grinned.

"What, is that some sort of winemaker's holiday or something?" Draco quirked an eyebrow.

"No, Draco," Hermione shot him a look as she spoke. "The fourth of July is the anniversary of American independence from Great Britain. I read about it in _The United States of America: a History_."

"Oh my gosh!" Gwen squealed, clapping. "This will be your first fourth of July party!"

"We always have the best party," Matt said confidently. "Dad always breaks out nice old wine for the occasion.

"Are they coming with us to the lesson?" Gwendolyn asked Harlow before sipping her glass of apple juice.

"They, uh," Harlow began, with a glance at the two Hogwarts students, "don't know about it. Matt and I are planning on attending with them."

"Attending what exactly?" Hermione demanded, clutching her fork.

"A dance lesson," Matt said, cutting across his sister, who was about to say something. "Harlow why didn't you tell them?"

"I figured they would say no." A guilty looking Harlow glanced at Draco.

"Are you bloody serious?" Malfoy said, his eyebrows nearly touching his hairline. "Why are we going to a dance lesson?"

"For the Winemakers' Invitational. Surely you've heard of it?" Gia asked Draco.

"Harlow has told us about it." Hermione said.

"Dad arranges for us to take lessons every year, so we won't make a fool out of ourselves. You think after about twelve years of it we'd be pros right?" Matt joked. "I'm fairly good at it, but Harlow's the best."

"The worst part is when Beaujolais appears at the same studio as us," Harlow growled.

* * *

"Welcome, welcome again!" The dance instructor greeted the group. Felicity and her younger brother Wyatt had joined the five after breakfast. The teacher was a short squirrely man with no hair and a salt-and-pepper goatee. He was wearing a black tux jacket and pants with a plum colored dress shirt underneath and a white silk tie.

"Eets good to see you again my dears!" The man hugged and air kissed Harlow and Matt, even though the latter protested slightly.

"My name ees Meesta Tanca. And today you will dance!" He clapped his hands, and after a quick look around he grinned. "How perfect, there are eight of you!"

As if on cue, the doors swung open and a boy walked in. "Tanca, what a pleasure it is to see you!" Rory strode across the dance studio and hugged the squealing instructor. Hermione saw Harlow bristle beside her.

"This ees no goot! Please, line up in height order."

The eight of them walked around awkwardly and arranged themselves with the tallest first: Matt, Draco, Felicity, Rory, Harlow, Hermione, Wyatt, Gwen, and then Gia.

"Well you'll have to dance wiff me, ya?" Tanca nodded at Gia. She responded with an audible huff and crossed her arms, then walked across the room to sit down on the floor. She whipped out her cell phone.

"Well anyways, please stand wiff a member of the opposite gender—so that would be Matt and Felicity, Draco and Harlow, Rory and Hermione, and Wyatt and Gwen." Tanca grinned at the group of new dancers. "Harlow, Matt, and Rory, try not to show off!"

Matt and Felicity smiled at each other and she placed a kiss on his cheek. Harlow gave Draco a smirk and sidled up next to him. Rory bowed to Hermione and looped his arm in hers, and Wyatt and Gwen exchanged nervous smiles.

"Now please! Take a spot on the floor, spread out, there ees plenty of room. Stand opposite your partner wiff your feet shoulder width apart."

The group did as they were told. Hermione saw Gwen slide a glance at Draco. She turned to Rory to find his green eyes fixed intently on hers.

"You ever dance before, Hermione?" He asked her.

"I've never taken lessons," Hermione replied, and she straightened up a little.

"Gentlemen, please place your right hand below the lady's shoulder blade." Tanca instructed, walking around the room with slow, watchful paces.

Draco stepped closer to Harlow and placed a hand on her back. He was impressed when she didn't jump, but rather, she made the next move before Tanca announced it.

"Ladies, put your left hand on your partner's shoulder!"

Hermione felt herself get closer to Rory as she closed the space between and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Claps hands at eye level!"

Harlow slipped her hand into Draco's before he moved. Tanca passed them and nodded approvingly, but stopped to raise Gwen and Wyatt's clasped hands.

"This ees a dance of passion, like the tango! Your torsos should be touching! Let me feel the smoldering emotions as you dance!" Tanca shouted as he skipped around the room, ecstatic.

"Gentlemen, take a slow step forward wiff your left foot. Ladies, mirror the movement with a slow step backwards wiff your right foot. Then return to your feet touching."

Rory guided Hermione backwards. She looked down sheepishly at her feet and felt herself step with the beat. Hermione looked back up to see Rory grinning at her.

"Gentlemen, take a slow step backward wiff your right foot. Ladies, mirror him again and step forward wiff your left. Afterwards place your feet together."

Draco glanced quickly at his feet and took a step backwards from Harlow. He looked up when he heard Felicity's loud laughter, Matt's grin pressed against her shoulder.

"Now that ees passion!" Tanca cried happily. "You have just completed the Slow part! Clap wiff me!"

Tanca applauded his class loudly as the eight students clapped modestly. Gia disappeared.

"Now for the Quick part. Back to your positions, please. Ladies and gentlemen, your feet should be touching. Gents, take a step to the side wiff your left foot. Ladies, your right foot.

Hermione and Rory stepped together. "You're getting the hang of this," he grinned at her. "But I'm the best dancer here."

"I'm a quick learner," Hermione replied.

"Feet together. Gentlemen take another step wiff your left foot slightly diagonal, so that you press your lady backwards. Ladies, step wiff your right to the back. After, you should be facing a new direction."

Draco stepped with his left foot and sort of swung with Harlow, creating an arc.

"You're doing it right." Harlow whispered, giving Draco a smile.

"You have just learned the Quick part! The tempo of this dance goes Slow Slow, Quick-Quick, Slow. Now give eet a try." Tanca said, with some gingerness on his last suggestion.

The four groups danced the best they could. Tanca watched Harlow and Draco, for it seemed though she was not the leader in the pair, Harlow was helping Draco. Wyatt and Gwen were dancing quite well together. Matt was guiding Felicity around in a small circle, and as Tanca watched, he knew that as Felicity rested her head on Matt's shoulder, she was imagining herself dancing at the wedding.

"Do you know what they say about dancers, Draco?" Harlow asked him.

Draco looked up to meet her eyes for a moment, the universal sign of comprehension. He was too busy silently chanting Slow, Slow, Quick-Quick, Slow, to answer her.

"If you're a good dancer, you're good in bed." Harlow told him.

With this Draco's head shot up to look at Harlow. But her eyes weren't trained on his, they were looking at something past his shoulder.


	10. Chapter 10

** Sorry for the lack of updates! The college process has been traumatically time-consuming. Incredibly so. Please enjoy & review (:**

_

* * *

Take all the courage you have left_  
_Wasted on fixing all the problems _  
_That you made in your own head_

_But it was not your fault but mine_  
_And it was your heart on the line_**  
**

* * *

Hermione was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than a hot shower, the fluffy romance novel she borrowed from Harlow, and her bed. After climbing the stairs slowly, she gathered up her shower gear and headed to the bathroom. Draco saw Hermione leave before he flopped down on her bed. He let out a muffled sigh and felt his body relax into the soft fold of her sheets. It was a _helluva_ a lot more comfortable than his own bed.

Draco lifted his head up an inch and looked at Hermione's bedside table. There was a book. Ruffling her damp hair, Hermione walked back into the bedroom. She felt so refreshed and happy, her body still warm from the hot shower. The first thing Hermione saw upon entering was Draco sitting in her bed. Then she noticed he was holding her romance novel.

"That's mine!" Hermione shouted and dropped her stuff, marching over to the Slytherin.

"Oh, this?" Draco nonchalantly asked and waved the book in the air. "It's quite good."

"Stop it! Give it back!" Hermione put her hands on her hips and glared at his smirk.

"C'mon Granger, I just got to a good part," Draco play-whined. He looked down at the page. "_'Charity and Brock were trapped in the cabin for three months now. The amount of cold snow outside was so unbearable she feared staying trapped forever. Brock had announced his dislike of Charity from the start, and she didn't deny the feeling was mutual. She couldn't stand him. But after all this time, Charity couldn't ignore the attraction anymore — she wanted Brock, and she needed him now. Brock was in the kitchen, carving a turkey. Earlier in the day he shot it from the window, then stomped outside heroically to take his catch inside. Charity's mouth watered when she watched his firm muscles ripple with each movement. It was only seconds before she —'_"

After a few second of reading, Hermione launched herself at Draco. She tackled him and grabbed at his arms, but he was too tall. Draco slid out from underneath her and rolled off the bed, walking around the room, reading and smirking widely. Hermione pushed him against the wall and wrestled it out of his hands as Draco continued to read and cackle.

"I said _give_ it!" Hermione cried, and with one last effort, she grabbed the book from his hands.

"Aw Granger, no fair." Draco pouted and crossed his arms. "You don't like to share?"

"Don't touch my stuff again, Malfoy, or so help me." Her finger was centimeters from his nose. Hermione's wand was still by her bed, so she figured she didn't look as menacing as planned.

"Calm down, will you?" Draco growled. "Now do you mind walking away? You're standing on my bed."

Hermione looked down and realized beneath her feet were the sheets Draco used as his bed. She huffed and turned on her heel, book in hand, and plopped into her bed, and started to read.

* * *

"There's still a whole lot of the estate you didn't see yet." Harlow said when she took Hermione and Draco outside the next afternoon. In the morning the pair had slept in past breakfast, so Harlow burst into their room with her wand drawn. Draco heard her shout and jumped out his bed and nearly attacked her. Harlow blushed crimson and explained she was only worried about them.

"This place is enormous," Hermione breathed. She was walking behind Harlow on a path through the field of grapes. Clusters of violet grapes were budding from the vines and Hermione was tempted to reach out and touch one.

"What are we checking out now?" Draco asked, who was walking beside Harlow.

"The fermentation room," she replied. The trio reached the end of the field and looming above him Draco saw a huge open building, resembling a barn with wide open doors.

Harlow led them inside and started to point things out to them. Hermione saw a row of huge silver tanks, at least fifteen feet deep from the top opening. She followed Harlow up a flight of stairs that took them along a balcony overlooking the tanks.

"In these tanks the fermenting is done. Grape juice turns to alcohol when the yeast interacts with the sugars." Harlow explained, peering down into the tank.

"It looks like foam." Draco observed, staring into the stainless steel mass.

"It's the chemical reaction Malfoy," Hermione shot a look at him. "I thought you were decent at potions?"

"I _am_, thanks for wondering Granger," Draco gritted his teeth.

"Whoa there, calm down kids." Harlow's eyes were hard when she glanced at Hermione and Draco. "You can't fool around up here. If you fall in that's bad news."

"What happens?" Hermione asked timidly, peeking over the low railing.

"Carbon Dioxide is a byproduct of the reaction. You'd suffocate from a lack of oxygen." Harlow said, turning away from the tank. "Did you two hear that?"

"What?" Draco turned to look where Harlow was facing.

"That rustling …" Harlow whispered.

At that moment, three things happened in quick procession. A shadow passed in front of the door. Harlow and Draco whipped out their wands. Hermione wheeled around but the motion from Harlow's arm sent her tumbling into the tank.

"HERMIONE!" Harlow shrieked, dropping her wand. "Oh my God!"

Draco gripped the railing and looked down into the tank. Hermione was limp at the bottom of it, surrounded by the foam substance. "Granger, can you hear me?" His voice came hoarse.

Hermione stirred. She used her hands to help herself up to a sitting position. Then, Hermione took a deep breath. What she inhaled wasn't air. Hermione coughed and her hands flew to her throat. The carbon dioxide was too congested for her to breathe oxygen. Her eyes watered, and she croaked.

"Help!" Hermione's voice was cracked and pathetic. She looked up and saw equally pale Harlow and Draco staring down at her. Her vision wavered and a bright light popped in the left corner. More lights began dancing in front of her eyes.

"I need to go get Matt!" Harlow screamed and picked up her wand from the floor of the balcony. "Draco keep an eye on her!"

Draco felt his mouth go dry. He thought he heard Granger say something, but he looked down and she was still, slumped against a slopped wall of the tank. There was only one thing he could do now. He had to — wasn't it the only sensible thing to do? His took his wand from his pocket.

"Levicorpus." Draco said, his wand aimed at Hermione. She flew up in to the air as if someone strung a rope from her ankle to the ceiling. Draco tried angling his wand to get her out of the tank, but after his first attempts she would only bump the side of the tank. Draco let out a frustrated grunt and a shout of strung together curse words. He slowly levitated her out of the tank and felt something in the pit of his stomach lift clench as Hermione's feet skimmed the top of the tank.

Draco ran down the steps all the while keeping his eyes and wand trained on Hermione. She was hanging too far in the air for his reach. He angled his wand downward, and she came to the floor. Draco swore again under his breath and shoved his wand in his pocket, sliding two hands under Hermione. He pulled her against his chest and lifted her off the ground, carrying her outside.

Harlow was running faster than she ever had back to the fermentation room, Matt in tow. She saw Draco stumble out with Hermione in his arms and Harlow almost slammed to a stop.

"What happened? What's wrong with Hermione?" Matt rushed past Harlow to Draco. The younger blonde knelt in the grass and let Hermione roll out of his arms.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Harlow sank in the ground beside her and placed a hand on Hermione's forehead as Matt felt for her pulse.

"She needs oxygen," Matt said quickly, pushing a tablet into Hermione's mouth. Draco cringed when he saw Matt try to force it in her throat, knowing only that could help her now.

Three slow seconds passed before Hermione's brown eyes fluttered. She blinked a few times and Harlow and Matt sighed.

"Hermione, can you hear me?" Harlow murmured as she pushed Hermione's hair from her face.  
Hermione nodded and tried to sit up.

"Draco, you got to her just in time. How did you—?" Matt turned and asked Malfoy. But all Matt saw of Draco was his form getting smaller in the distance before he disappeared in the fields.


	11. Chapter 11

**Enjoy chapter eleven!

* * *

**

_I've been told I'm cruel  
Due to what I do  
I've been told I'm cruel  
To you  
_  
_Have I been a fool?_

* * *

After what Harlow deemed 'the Rescue' Hermione was taken into the house for dinner.

Susan Lafayette kept fussing over her — checking Hermione's vitals, offering her seconds or thirds, pressing a washcloth to her face.

"Susan, please, I'm fine," Hermione protested gently. Maybe if she spoke Susan would realize she is alive.

"I'm so sorry dear, so sorry!" Susan cried before squashing Hermione in a hug. "What happened to so was so terrible, I'm so happy you are okay."

"Hermione, I'm inexplicably apologetic for what happened in the tank room." Scott said from the head of the table. "Harlow, you need to keep our English guests safe, that's our primary concern this summer."

Harlow mumbled yet another apology from her seat and continued to poke at her dinner.

"It's not her fault dad, I should have been there with them," Matt interposed, defending his sister.

Scott looked up from his plate and gave Matt an agreeing look.

"Don't worry about doing anything tomorrow, Hermione." Susan broke the silence and reached over to smooth Hermione's hair. "You can sleep for as long as you'd like, and I promise to keep Harlow away from you."

"She means I won't wake you up," Harlow explained with an angry tone. "She doesn't mean I am now forbidden to spend time with you"

"Its fine really, I'm just glad I'm okay." Hermione smiled at the family. "I'm ready to get some sleep now, do you mind if I excuse myself?"

* * *

Draco Malfoy sank deeper into the bathtub with a low groan. When he closed his eyes he saw Hermione on the grass as he walked away. His grey eyes opened. He let himself simply relax and feel the hot water around him. Draco couldn't remember the last time he had a bath. Memories light years away started to flash in his mind of being a small boy and spending bath time clapping with glee as his mother charmed a rubber ducky to float around the tub on its own.

There wasn't even a rubber duck in this bathroom. Draco tilted his head and leaned back against the cool blue tile, his arms sliding into the tub from the sides. This day needed to end as soon as possible. Maybe he would steal Granger's book again later. To taunt her, of course. With a bang the bathroom door opened. Water sloshed around the sides of the tub as Draco scrambled for his wand, but it was too far away from his grasp.

"Draco Malfoy, tell me what happened right now!" Hermione screeched, slamming the door shut.

"What the hell — what do you want Granger?" Draco shouted back.

Hermione took a second to take in her surroundings. She figured Draco would just be brushing his teeth, but with another look she saw Malfoy in the bathtub. Naked.

"Why are you naked?" she asked slowly.

"I'm taking a bath, Granger." Draco answered just as slowly, with an edge in his voice. "What do you wear in the bathtub — floaties?"

"For you information Malfoy I don't take baths." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "Can you tell me why in Merlin's name you just barged in here? Draco asked with a glare.

"I should have knocked." Hermione groaned and leaned against the sink.

"The bloody hell you should have," Draco growled.

"I want to know why you pushed me in the tank, Malfoy!"

"Wait a minute. Why would you want to know why I pushed you in?"

Hermione's brow furrowed. Why was Draco using a disbelieving tone? "Yes, I do, is that such a hard question to answer?"

"But I _didn't_ push you in, Hermione. Harlow did." Draco said and shook his head.

"Oh." Hermione took a second to respond. She couldn't decide which was confusing her at this point — she was wrong about Malfoy pushing her in, or he just used her first name. "Why did Harlow push me in?"

"She didn't on purpose. You were looking in the tank when her and I heard something. I think an animal passed by the door, but we assumed it would be Beaujolais."

"Oh." Hermione repeated. "Are you sure? Because I assumed you would push me in because you're so bloody bent on destroying me and—"

Draco let out a loud frustrating grunt and stood up from the tub. "I bloody well just saved your life Granger! I think you owe me a little more than an accusation!" Draco felt water running down his chest and his legs. Wait a minute, if he was out of the tub then...

Hermione did not flinch. She was staring at Draco's face and didn't dare move her eyes. "Draco, I think you should …"

He flushed and lowered himself back in the tub. "I uh … I was angry."

"Did you say you saved my life?" Hermione found her voice and looked away from Draco.

"Yes. After you fell in Harlow went to go get help and I figured I ought to do something." Draco said quietly, his hands skimming the water.

"Oh, you 'figured you ought to?'" Hermione raised an eyebrow. From the look on Draco's face she almost regretted saying that for fear of him getting out of the tub again.

"Would you rather I _didn't_?" Draco shot back. He stayed in the tub.

"Can I ask how long you waited to get me?" Hermione cocked her head.

Draco didn't answer, but rather took a sudden interest in one tile lining the bathtub.

"How did you get me out?" Hermione asked, moving to sit on the closed toilet seat.

"Levicorpus," Draco met her eyes for a moment.

"I figure Snape taught you that," Hermione assumed. Draco nodded.

The pair sat in silence for a minute. "I'm … I'm going to bed now." Hermione stood up and went for the door.

"I'll be in here. And can I request you _not_ interrupt me again without prompting?" Draco asked, and his grey eyes flashed.

"Don't count on it, Malfoy." Hermione replied with false sweetness. She reached for the doorknob and turned it. Before she left Hermione added, "Thanks, by the way."

But Draco had slid under water and Hermione walked out of the bathroom too late to notice.


	12. Chapter 12

**Please enjoy & review chapter twelve! (:**

* * *

_I own the light and I don't need no help_  
_Gotta be the feeling that scarface player_  
_Stuntin go wild can't handle this plan_  
_Life of the club arrogant like yeah!_

* * *

"Draco, you're not doing anything tonight are you mate?" Matt asked Malfoy over an early dinner. Matt, Draco, Hermione, and Harlow were seated around the table.

Draco looked up, noticing a grin on Matt's face. "No I'm not … why do you ask?"

After he spoke Harlow and Felicity gave a high pitched girlish giggle.

"Bullocks," Hermione groaned as she looked at the girls. "Is it time for the stag party?" Felicity laughed but looked confused.

"Are you talking about the US equivalent of a bachelor party?" Draco looked at Matt, who was grinning like a fool.

The doorbell rang, and he went to answer it.

"Isn't it — it's a little early for that, right?" Hermione gave Felicity a helpless look.

"Oh _Hermione_ you're going to have so much fun," Harlow smiled. "Besides, Felicity is just as cautious as you are, I'll be doing most of it all night."

Matt re-entered the room with a rather large group of people. "They all apperated together," he explained. "It's time for some introductions!"

Hermione and Draco looked at the crowd of four strangers. Matt and Felicity took turns pointing to people and giving names. There was Felicity's best friend from childhood Maya and her boyfriend Peter, and one of Matt's North Martin roommates, Ethan, who brought along his wife Dina.

"Are we ready to go?" Maya said, clapping two hands together.

"Maya and I discussed locations." The man named Ethan said. "It's all set!"

"Okay then! So Ethan, Peter, and I will apperate from the living room, and the ladies can stay here," Matt instructed.

"One more kiss before the party!" Jane cheered. The other five echoed her. Felicity blushed as Matt approached her and the pair kissed, causing a whoop from the group of adult friends.

"Let's go!" Ethan said, almost half-way down the hall at that point. Draco felt nervous and excited. He'd never been to a stag party, or a bachelor party for that matter, and now he was going to his first, in the United States. Wait until Zabini hears about this.

Matt clapped his hand on Draco's back as he guided him to a spacious, well-lit living room. "One more round of introductions — Ethan," the man with dark, curly hair, "Peter," with short brown hair, "and this is Draco. He's staying with the family with his friend for the summer." Multiple handshakes rippled between Draco and the two other men.

"I chose this. You ought to admit it's fitting for the occasion. The best man always delivers," Ethan held out a shot glass hanging from a lanyard around his neck. Draco, Matt, Peter, and Ethan put their hands on the oversized glass. Draco felt his feet the ground and he swayed slightly. He opened his eyes and saw a bar. It was pretty busy with a good Friday night crowd. The dark walls and leather furniture were lit by soft over-head lights.

Ethan headed to the bar and spoke to a woman, who pointed to space on the other side of the bar. He gestured to the rest of them and they followed.

"I'll buy the first round," Peter said as he walked to the table Ethan showed them. It was empty and in the corner of the bar, but the men still had a good view of the crowd.

"I have a little game we can play with it," Ethan smirked at his company. "Peter, order one beer and four shots and we can start." Peter repeated his order to a waitress and she came back with five tall glasses filled with amber liquid and foam. She gave a look at Draco for a second before sliding a glass at him.

"The name of the game is Pass the Pitcher," Ethan explained. "But first I say we all do the shot for some gall." A second passes as the group all downed their shots. Draco and Peter both grimaced afterwards, and Matt shook his head. "Now, to play the game is whoever bought the drink has to start with it." Ethan passed the beer to Peter. Peter took a swallow and passed the glass to Matt, who was seated next to him. He took a large gulp and the men laughed. Next was Draco, who took a modest amount of beer before it came back to Ethan. It was about half-empty now, so Ethan took a small bit, and after him Peter swallowed the same amount. Matt looked into the nearly empty glass, shrugged, and tilted it back and finished off the beer. Draco, Peter, and Ethan whooped and clapped.

"You have to buy the next round, bud!" The latter hollered. "Then we'll start our next game." Matt ushered to the waitress and a tray of four beers floated over to the bachelors. Draco took a sip and listened to Ethan.

"This one will be good," Ethan winked at Matt and pulled a few index cards from a box Draco didn't see before. "It's like truth or dare, but a lot better — it's Bachelor Party edition. We have to make an agreement first and the magic bond will make sure you tell the truth or do your deed." Ethan pushed the black box to the center of the table. "Each player must put their left thumb on the lid."

After Ethan did so, Peter, Matt, and Draco reached out their left hand to place a thumb on the box. Draco felt the box warm up for a second before Ethan withdrew his thumb. "The order goes Groom, Best Man, Groomsman, then … Draco." Ethan gave Draco a small smile. "Who is none of the above. Get to it Matt!"

Matt chuckled and pulled the box towards him. Two words in gold appeared on the lid and he touched Truth. Matt pulled a card from the box and read it out loud. "What is the worst thing about your fiancée?" T

he men around the table laughed loudly and sipped more beer as Matt looked uncomfortable. "Uh, oh jeez," Matt stammered, a nervous smile on his lips. "Well I'd have to say Felicity's a little bit controlling. She's going crazy planning the wedding."

"Well put," Peter said and thumped his friend on the back. The box was passed to Ethan, who pressed dare. "Dance by yourself on the dance floor. Ah, shitt."

Draco and Matt laughed as Peter pushed Ethan out of his seat with a cackle. Ethan stood up and slowly walked to the dance floor with a menacing glance back at his table. A group of girls who were dancing in a circle gave him a look before giggling to themselves. Ethan kind of smiled and then began sort of swaying to the music. He looked like a complete oaf. After a few jumps and a fist pump or two, Ethan ran back to the table.

"Way to go, mate." Draco joked to Ethan.

Peter grabbed the box and pressed truth. "What's the worst thing about the Groom?" Ethan and Draco exchanged a curious look. "Crap." Peter rubbed his forehead. Matt laughed. "Well I don't really know you too well Matt, but … okay, you seem a little too relaxed that you're wedding is in a week."

Matt shrugged. "I'll take that."

Draco was passed the box. He looked down at the smooth black surface that read Truth or Dare? Draco pressed dare and saw a message appear. "Use this pick-up line on a random girl at the bar — oh bullocks."

"What is it?" Peter asked loudly, grinning.

"I, uh, don't want to give it away." Draco cringed. "Here I go." He took a swallow of beer for luck. Draco walked up to the bar.

There were two single girls, one single man, and two couples sitting there. He walked towards the youngest looking girl, an attractive brunette. He sat next to her and motioned for the bartender. "Gin and tonic, please."

The girl looked up and Draco took the moment to give her a smile. She paused for a second before giving him a smirk. Draco got his drink and told the bartender to add it to his table's tab. He wrapped his hand around the glass, took a small breath, and then turned to the girl. "Hey … Are you using the Confundus charm or are you just naturally mind blowing?"

The girl was sipping her drink and promptly after Draco delivered the line, she choked a bit. She looked at him and her green eyes flashed. "Excuse me?"

"Uh … have a nice night beautiful." Draco said quickly before sliding out of his seat and drinking his entire gin and tonic on the way back to the table. Peter, Matt, and Ethan had been watching the whole time and now were laughing like hyenas.

"Oh shut it," Draco grumbled when he sat down.

"Great one Draco, I've got to remember that line!" Ethan howled with laughter.

"C'mon guys, that's enough." Matt said as he started to catch a breath. "Anyone want to hit the floor? I'd like to see a repeat of Ethan's performance."


End file.
